


A Little Strange

by Anasatsia98



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Funny, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27116428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anasatsia98/pseuds/Anasatsia98
Summary: "It's me, and it's you, and it's firewhiskey.""Merlin, Maeve, no!"
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	A Little Strange

Maeve O'Haley was certainly, very normal, thank you very much.

Each morning, she woke to the sound of her sisters fighting over who was allowed to be in the first in the bathroom. Gracie shouting that she was the eldest and there was no question that she should be first, Millie arguing that Gracie was only older by thirteen minutes and she needed to _shut the fu-,_ and Cassia threatening to tell their parents that Millie said a bad word.

Yes, each morning was certainly normal.

"I swear to God, Cass, you better move that ass—"

"Mom! Millie said a bad word!"

How strange it was, she thought, that her schoolmates even questioned how normal she was. Sure, her sisters went to Hogwarts, and her mother grew plants that could eat you for a living, and her father was strangely interested in the rubber ducks—but that wasn't too _un_ normal, was it? Much to her classmates disappointment, everybody had something a little strange about them. She knew that Michael Kenton's mother was sleeping with their gardener. hy else would he leave the house with lipstick stains in the middle of the day? Or that Kelly Johns was most certainly in love with her best friend (she'd seen the bright flush whenever Bridget would talk to her). Yet, she didn't point these out to her classmates…though, she could understand why they thought she was a bit odd. She hadn't been that careful when her Millie threw her lunchbox at her head.

"Girls," Her mother sounded exasperated at this point. There was no doubt in Mae's mind that she was most likely stressed and worried that they were going to run late, "We don't have time for your arguments today. It's your last time sharing a bathroom for a few months, let's just get this quickly, okay?"

The slam of the bathroom door alerted Mae that Gracie won the argument. The sharp slap and loud cry told her that Millie was quite upset with Cassia for ratting on them.

Sighing, Mae supposed it would be best for her to het out of bed. She'd tried multiple times at this point but, each time she tried to get up, her bed's warm embrace coiled around her and sung her back to sleep. With drooping eyelids, she lazily glanced towards the bed parallel to hers and shrugged at the grey cat that stared at her.

"You can't blame me for being tired, Greg," The cat blinked, and Mae sighed, "All right, I guess you can. But I was so excited! I mean, it's not every day—"

"Stop talking to my cat, weirdo," Millie scowled, shoving the door open. The 'boom' that reverberated through the room had Greg scampering off and Mae lazily turning to look at her. It wasn't unlike her sister to make such a grand entrance and Mae had gotten used to the loud shrieks and crashes that never seemed to leave the house, "And his name isn't Greg! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Yeah, but Turnip is a stupid name." Mae sighed, finally slinking her body out of the bed and falling to her knees, "He doesn't even look like one."

"A cat can't look like a turnip, stupid," Millie shoved her sneakers and straightened the blue sweater she was wearing, "Plus, I was eleven."

Mae snickered at that, shrugging on a sweater of her own. She tended to run cold—a sign that she'd be a snake, that's what Millie said—and her sisters' hand-me-downs fit her absolutely perfectly. It would be a waste for such comfy clothing to be given away when she could still wear them. The dark blue jeans complimented her tanned skin and Mae tried to tuck the thick, dark curls behind her ears.

"I'm eleven and I didn't name my owl something stupid like Turnip."

"No, you named her Gray when she's fucking—"

"Mom!"

The array of curse words that escaped Millie's lips and Cassia's pale face had Mae bent over, clutching her stomach as laughter sang from her lips.

"Why are you here, brat?" Millie hissed, stalking towards their bedroom door and glaring at Cassia with such intensity Mae thought she'd melt, "Aren't you supposed to be in the bathroom or kissing someone's ass?"

Rolling her eyes, her cheeks burning from the smile that pulled at them, Mae grabbed her trunk from the bottom of her bed. Cassia had yet to move from the door, her eyes wide and rimmed with red. She was going to start crying soon. Her bottom lip was quivering, she was wringing her hands, and her breaths were coming out much faster than normal. Cassia cried a lot… like, more than someone would think was reasonable for a seven-year-old. In fact, Cassia cried so much, that it was nearly impossible to tell when, and if, she was truly upset about something.

"Why are you so mean?" Cassia asked before busting into sobs, her hands covering her eyes as her body wracked with sobs, "The Hat made a mistake, you're actually a Slytherin!"

Sharing a look with her sister, Mae stepped forward. There was no disappointment in her eyes, mostly just frustration. Cassia always acted like this, as she said, but it got worse each time they went off to school. Last year, she was so upset that all the flowers around the house wilted. It was quite funny actually. Her Mom nearly had a heart attack when she walked downstairs and her breathless curse only made Cassia cries harsher.

"She is, isn't she?" Mae whispered, smiling when she felt her sister's body stop shaking. Knowing that Cassia was listening, she raised her voice just a bit—just enough so that Millie could hear what she said next, "That's why her eyes are green instead of brown, like ours. It's because Slytherin blood is running through her veins—"

A loud shriek sounded from behind them, Millie's hands pressing into her back, her nails piercing through the thick sweater. Besides her, Cassia's giggles tinkled in the air.

"Get out!" Millie's voice screeched, reaching a volume so impossibly high that Mae winced. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd have crescent-shaped marks on her back. The fury pumping through Millie's veins causing her to act impulsively, "If anyone's a little snake, it's you, Laura!"

The joy that had once flooded through her at the success of getting under her sister's skin stilled. The smile dropping from her face and her brows furrowing in annoyance, Mae shoved against Millie's hands and dropped her trunk.

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not?" Millie taunted, "Don't like being called Little Laurie? Or being reminded that Mom and Dad named you after their dog?"

"Yeah, well at least I wasn't named Millicent," Mae shot back.

Maybe that was what was most unnormal about Maeve O'Haley. Not the fact that her family came from a long line of witches and wizards, that she was about to go to a special school, or that her parents had unusual jobs. Maybe it was the fact that Maeve O'Haley was actually named Laura O'Haley. That she was named after the dog her parents rescued right after they moved in together.

Millie's face was beginning to turn an unsettling shade of red, one that clashed rather horribly with the acne that spotted her chin. Cassia's grip on her arm told Mae that she should run, that she needed to get out of there while she still had a chance. Millie _was_ ten centimeters taller and who knows how many stones heavier. Yes, if Mae wished to see Hogwarts for herself, she needed to run.

"Girls!" Instant relief coursed through her body, soothing the prickles of apprehension and frustration.

With a soft cry, Cassia lurched towards their Mom, Saoirse O'Haley, her arms wrapping tightly around her waist as she watched her sisters glower at each other. Her Mom, Mae noticed, did _not_ look happy at all to see her and with a wave of her wand, her trunk vanished.

"What are you doing? You still need to brush your teeth and your hair? Gracie's been out of the bathroom for minutes." Saoirse ran a hand through Cassia's gentle, brown waves, "Hurry up, we have to leave in fifteen."

"Got it," Millie and Mae said together, and Saoirse's eyes narrowed at their synchronization. Shuffling back a step, Mae pinched her sisters thigh. It was very clear, very obvious, that Saoirse did not believe for one minute that the two were perfectly fine. The dread that pulled at Mae's face and the pure rage that coated Millie's was enough of a warning for Saoirse to understand that, had she come a few seconds later, one of her daughters may have had a tumble down the stairs.

"Right," Saoirse drawled, her brows narrowing at the bright smiles her Millie and Mae now gave her, "I highly doubt that, but I don't want any broken bones."

The moment Saoirse's back was turned, however, Millie flicked Mae's ear. Pain radiatied from the offended area in sharp waves and Mae bit back a yelp, elbowing her sister in the gut instead. The two stared at each other, fighting with their eyes rather than their fists. Mae bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. So similar were the two, but so different. Much like how Cassia and Gracie were the same, Millie and Mae were practically identical; and, on more than one occasion, it was thought that Millie and Mae were the twins. Pale green, much like the color embroidered onto the Slytherin robes stared down a liquid amber. Mae tilted her head to the side and Millie hesitated. Raising her brows in response, Mae fought the urge to roll her eyes before nodding.

"Two chocolate frogs and one licorice wand." Was all Millie whispered, walking past Mae and towards the bathroom.

"Mae, the downstairs bathroom is open, let's go!"

This time, Mae didn't fight the urge to roll her eyes and headed the same direction that Millie went. Without even bothering to look at her, Millie shoved out her hand and Mae plucked the toothbrush (already coated with toothpaste) and hairbrush out of her hand. It took record timing for her to get ready. To be honest, she didn't bother brushing her hair, knowing that the mess of curls would turn into a mess of pure frizz if she did. Stepping out of the bathroom, Saoirse waved her wand once more, and Mae's brushes disappeared into her trunk.

Squatting in front of her second youngest child, Saoirse pulled at the jumper she wore, acting as if there were wrinkles she was ironing out. Mae knew this talk was coming and stood perfectly still, meeting eyes that mirrored her own. She had walked down when her Mom was giving Gracie this talk two years ago, the words still engraved in her memory.

"You know your Father and I love you very much," Her Mom began, and Mae's lips twitched upwards, "And that if you get into any house—even Slytherin—we'll still love you."

"Yeah, Mom, I know," At her Mom's exasperated sigh, Mae sent her a cheeky grin.

"Good," Was all Saoirse said before standing towards her full height. She turned to leave, but stopped, glancing back towards Mae with a grin of her own, "But I bet Hufflepuff."

"Mom!" Mae's eyes widened drastically, "You know that I look horrible in yellow!"

Her Mom simply laughed, "Get to the fireplace."

Gracie was already standing in it when she arrived, her hand clutching the Floo powder and a gentle smile painting her lips. Cassia and Millie stood to her left. While Millie looked rather bored and was twirling her wand between her fingers, Cassia was bouncing on her toes. For some weird reason, Cassia always thought traveling via Floo was the most exciting thing about being a witch. Mae sighed, however, and took her spot before Millie. Her parents structured their travel so that each younger girl would have an older girl with them. Mae thought it was unnecessary. She _was_ eleven and had done this twice before. If anything, Gracie needed a travel buddy because of how easily lost she got.

"Ready?" Gracie asked when Saoirse arrived. Their Mom nodded and waved Gracie on. With a shout, a flash of green, and a bit of smoke, her sister vanished from the fireplace, "Mae."

Hurriedly, she stepped into the fireplace—making sure to lift her foot up this time and not trip. Digging her hand into the bag of black powder Cassia held out to her, she sent her sister a soft smile.

"See you in a few!" She said, calling out the same location Gracie just said and vanishing with the brief green flame. After years of traveling by Floo, the experience lost its touch. It felt like, to her, you were being swallowed by a troll or a giant. Down you fell, your stomach rising as if you would never stop falling and your heart racing with adrenaline. When she first Flooed, she thought she'd never stop falling and was delightfully shocked when she landed rather harshly on the brick floor of her grandparents fireplace.

The feeling never changed.

Mae coughed as her feet hit the brick floor, a dull ache shooting through them as her sneakers did nothing to soften the landing. Dusting herself off—she at least wanted to be presentable while her Mom was still around, Mae stepped out. Gracie was waiting for her towards the side, already pulling her long ebony hair into a ponytail. The restaurant they Flooed to for school was only a block away from King's Cross Station and, no matter how late they were running, it was close enough from them to always be on time.

Mae made her way over to her oldest sister, pushing the strand of hair that so stubbornly fought against her decision. It was funny, she thought as she glanced at her sister's outfit, that the Millie and Gracie always wore each other's house colors when they headed back. The deep vermillion jumper only highlighted the warm undertones of Gracie's skin and called attention to her dark brown eyes. Unlike her twin, Gracie's hair hung much straighter and fell against just a bit under her shoulders when she wore it down.

"You excited, Mae?" Gracie asked her, a gentle smile on her face. There was no doubt in Mae's mind that Gracie, too, had placed a bet on which house she'd be in. A part of her hopped that she would get into Slytherin just to freak everyone out—just to be a bit unpredictable…plus, her Father's reaction would be hilarious.

"Yep!" Mae rocked on the heels of her feet, watching with amusement as Millie walked out of the fireplace coughing up a fit. _She must've breathed in as she left_ , she mused.

"Mill—"

"Shut up," Millie scowled, silencing both her twin and Mae. Mae supposed it was quite Gryffindor like to want to appear strong even in the times of need. If so, then Millie truly deserved the right to bear the red and gold.

Cassie followed mere seconds after Millie and, by the time their Mom arrived, she was already scolding Cassie on Flooing much to close after Millie. Scratching her brow, Mae trailed behind her Mom and youngest sister, listening to their conversation as she dragged her trunk. It was never too heavy to pull along and she knew it was because her Mom put a lighting spell on it.

"Truthfully," Mae turned to see Millie walking right beside her, "I think you'll be in Gryffindor. You're much too similar to me to be in Ravenclaw with that brainiac."

"Just because I actually take notes doesn't make me a brainiac, Mills." Gracie rolled her eyes. The five of them hurried across the busy street and towards the trolley rack, "You would've been placed there, too, if you actually tried."

Millie laughed at that, acting as though the thought was completely absurd. How different the twins were, but how similar they truly were. Everything that Gracie was, so was Millie; yet, they both applied themselves in different areas. Both incredibly smart but only Gracie tried with her academics. Millie skated along with passable grades. However, if she were being honest, Mae was quite surprised that her sister so openly shared her thoughts with her. Yes, Millie was blunt; but, never before had she told her what house she thought she'd be in. With the Slytherin remarks brushed aside, Mae was quite touched that her sister thought of her as so.

The trunk slammed down onto the trolley, a uncomfortably loud screech echoing through the station as the wheels fought against Mae's grip. They only needed two trollies between the three. Saoirse told them to only pack what they thought was necessary. Grasping the plastic handle, Mae turned the trolley and headed towards the platform. She didn't worry about where her ticket was, she knew that her Mom had taken it when she was sleeping and placed it in her purse.

"I bet Mae'll get Hufflepuff," Cassia chimed in, squeezing her way to stand between the two trolleys. Grunting, Mae jerked the cart to the left so that she didn't bump against Cassia's ankles. Gracie, on the other hand, simply slowed her pace a bit while Millie remained to the right of her.

"You're only saying that because Mom said that," Millie shot and Cassia's eyebrows lifted, appearing as if she were horrified that her opinion was solely based on their Mother's.

"No! I think that myself!"

Pushing forward, Mae picked up her pace, trying to keep up with Saoirse—who seemed to be walking much faster than she had a moment ago. Gracie easily caught up with her, as did Millie. It was only when Cassia reached to grasp the handle of the trolley that Mae realized they might be going a bit too fast for the younger girl.

"Well," Mae choked, nearly slamming into her Mom, who abruptly stopped before the barrier, "I'll make sure to send you the money first if you're right."

Cassia positively beamed at that, her hazel eyes—which tended to lean more towards brown than green—shining.

"You really mean that?" Ah, Mae hated to crush her dreams.

"'F course, I'll send you one knut."

It was rather funny to watch the hope quickly turn to anger. The thought of one knut did not appear to bring Cassia much joy, but what did she expect? Mae wasn't a coin dispenser and she knew that her sister would be making more money than all of them with the chores she did at home.

"Alright," Her attention turned towards her Mom. Saoirse's eyes were beginning to fill with tears and the realization made Mae uncomfortable. When she thought about it, it did make sense to why Cassia cried so much. Like the dutiful daughter she was, Cassia ran over to Saoirse and latched on to her waist. Mae fought the urge to awe at the gesture, "Millie first, then Mae, then Gracie."

"You got it, Captain." Millie said, giving a lazy salute.

Mae found it odd to watch Millie run through the barrier without a trolley. There was almost an aspect…almost a sense that something was wrong with the whole thing. She looked like a loser, if Mae were being frank. Running at the wall like a weirdo, a part of Mae thought it'd be hilarious if someone saw her. Then, just like magic, she was gone. Absorbed into the wall and Cassia watching in awe.

"Mae," Her Mom urged and taking a deep breath, Mae started to run.

Of course she was anxious about the whole thing. A part of her even feared that the wall would close up just as she ran through. What would happen to her then? Would she be stuck inside a wall until Christmas break? No, no, she shook those thoughts from her mind, surely the other side constantly remained open. How else would people get back through. Her stomach felt as though someone had piled rocks in it and her feet felt like they were tied down with led. Squeezing her eyes shut, and feeling much too like a coward, Mae passed through the walling feeling nothing more than a brush of air.

"Open your eyes, doofus." Millie was smiling at her… that was good. Mae headed towards her, handing her the trolley and beginning to anxiously pick at the skin surrounding her nails. Millie wasted no time in continuing, "Thought you were gonna crash, didn't you?"

"No," She immediately denied, shaking her head, "It was just weird."

Snorting, Millie rolled her eyes and ruffled Mae's hair, laughing at the aggravated huff that escaped her lips as her hands automatically went to push the curls back.

"Hate to break it to you, Mae, but you are weird."

Everything was much more beautiful and wonderful now that she was going to Hogwarts, Mae decided. The light seemed brighter, giving the station a warm glow, and the laughter that rang seemed much more cheerful…almost like it was excited that she was finally here. Parents were hugging their kids, friends were reuniting, pets were screeching in their cages. Strangely enough, it oddly felt like she was going home. Like she was one step away from opening the doors to her room.

Amongst the faces and different robe colors stood a surprisingly large crowd of redheads. In fact, Mae couldn't tell if they were close enough for her to see them, or if their bright hair just made them easier to see. One thing was for sure, though—there were many of them. Four tall figures and five shorter ones were huddled around one another. They seemed happy, though. She could see them laughing and pushing each other around.

"Mae, where are you?" Gracie's voice triggered something in her brain and, instead of being thousands of miles away, she was now back at King's Cross Station. Blinking, Mae noticed that her family was looking at her rather owlishly. Their eyes wide and blinking. It was like they were expecting her to drift away again.

"On a unicorn," The remark left Mae's lips without a second thought, and her siblings snickered. Mae swore she saw her Mom's lips twitch into a smile.

Gracie rolled her eyes, however, but the smile had yet to leave her face.

"You know the drill," Her Mom addressed her with Gracie and Millie because, well, because Mae saw this twice before, "Letters at least once a week, don't do anything stupid, try not to get hurt, and don't die, please. Mae," Mae caught her eye, "You're going to do amazing no matter what house you're in and, girls," Saoirse's attention turned towards her two oldest, "Keep an eye out on her."

"Always," Gracie swore.

"Sure," Millie smirked.

The train whistled and Mae recoiled back when her Mom grabbed her face, her frigid hands tightening as she pressed a kiss onto her forehead. Once she let go, Mae glanced to Cassia. With already watery eyes, Cassia lunged into Mae's arms and squeezed her. Mae swore her eyes bulged out from her sister's grip and she held back just as tightly—if not a little looser.

"Please write to me," Cassia's request was muffled by Mae's shirt, "You're my favorite! You _have_ to write to me."

Mae laughed at that, "You have a new favorite each week, but I will. I'll even try and sneak you a little surprise if you want."

Cassia pulled away, tear streaks staining her rosy cheeks and hair wild, "Yes, yes! Please do!"

Mae nodded, "Of course—"

"Get on the train, dear," Her Mom interrupted the two, pushing her towards the train and holding Cassia back by the shoulder, "It _will_ leave without you."

Nodding, and her heart beating a little faster than normal, Mae sent them one last wave goodbye before stepping up the stairs and into a cabin. Her mood soured when she realized that neither of her siblings were in sight and she pursed her lips, shuffling awkwardly on her feet.

"Guess I have to make some new friends." She muttered to herself.

It took her five train cars—ten cabins in total—before she found a semi-empty one. Did her face light up when she saw the familiar red hair? Yes, it did. Was she acting like she knew them? Yes, she was. Were they staring at her a little weirdly? Yes, but they'd get over that. After all, everybody's a little weird.

"Do you mind if I sit in here?" Mae asked once she opened the door. She was tentatively leaning in, but her body was tense and ready to continue her search. She really didn't want to, though. The family looked so happy—looked like they were having so much fun…she just wanted to have a good laugh, too.

They were identical from the red hair to the freckles that were scattered around their face. What made it slightly worse was the fact that they were also wearing identical outfits. Mae would feel horrible if she confused them. She was already horrible with names… but if you wanted to talk to someone who is horrible at names, you should talk to her parents.

That was a joke.

The twins glanced at each other, almost like they were silently communicating. It was strange to watch, Mae decided. Having never seen her own sisters do this before, Mae wondered if this was their way of silently telling her to leave. It hurt, the thought of already being rejected at her first try at friends, but she wasn't going to leave until they actually said no.

"Sure." The one closest to her said, and Mae nearly collapsed with relief. Slipping into the compartment, she sat down opposite of them and held out her hand. It was rather professional, she knew, but it was how her Mom told her to introduce herself to people at Hogwarts. The two stared at her hand, acting like it was going to reach out and smack them or something. While she waited, she couldn't help but notice a small bag in each of their laps. What she assumed was their name was written on each. It appeared that Fred was to her left and George was to her right.

"I'm Mae—well, Laura, but you can call me Mae if you'd like." Fred took her hand first, giving it three sharp shakes, and George followed.

"How do you get Mae out of Laura?" Fred asked, mirth sparkling in his eyes.

Mae smiled, "It's actually part of my middle name: Maeve. Laura's my first name."

The answer seemed acceptable for the two quickly introduced themselves.

"I'm George," Fred said.

"And I'm Fred," George said.

Her eyes positively lit up at their introduction. Biting her lips to stop the smile from spreading, she nodded her head at them.

"Nice to meet you, Fred," She met his eyes, before looking to George, "George."

Utter shock and confusion marred their features. She knew she certainly sounded like a stalker—hell, she'd even be a little creeped out… okay, horribly creeped out. But, it was just so funny to her. Their names were literally there for all to see and they were trying to prank her. If this was how they planned to continue their school year, they were going to need some help.

"Are you stalking us?" Fred asked, leaning forward, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

George mimicked him only a second later, "Or did you speak to our brothers."

"I actually just looked at your sandwich bag."


End file.
